Pope Leo delivered an Angelus message last Sunday that may seem especially poignant to Americans today, living as we do in a time when the people in charge of our country lie almost constantly about everything. He said that “acting in truth has its cost, because there are those who choose lies.” Persecution can come to those who follow Christ because Christ is a sign of contradiction to the rich and powerful. Our Lord’s message of love and justice was... Read more
On this day in 1920, the state of Tennessee ratified the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, giving women the right to vote. Women had agitated for this right from the time of the Revolution, beginning with Abigail Adams’ plea to her husband John Adams to “remember the ladies.” Mrs Adams’ plea was unheeded, and the men did not “remember the ladies.” They sidelined all slaves and the female half of population outside of full citizenship. Women could not own property,... Read more
O Lord my God, you have made your servant king although I am but a little child … Give your servant an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people? I wrote yesterday that I am going to consecrate my “work” to save America’s democracy to Our Lady. That sounds high-falutin’ … but what does it mean and how do you do such a... Read more
Today is the Feast of the Assumption. It is the day Roman Catholics honor the bodily assumption into heaven of the Mother of God. Our Lady is woven into the story of our salvation alongside her Son, Our Lord from the first chapters of Genesis to the book of Revelation. She is an absolutely essential person in the redemption of humankind. Mary was not and is not the passive cipher that flowery hagiography tries to reduce her to. She is... Read more
It’s easy, when the mad king spits out constant lies and creates national crises out of thin air, to feel that we’ve already lost America to fascism. It’s easy to fall over in despair when every Republican in Congress lines up on national news to tell lies that are so obviously lies they would be comical if they were not lying in support of a ruthless police state, concentration camps and the destruction of all our freedoms. It’s easy to... Read more
The Lord brings this charge against the leaders of His people: “You have devoured the vineyard; the plunder of the poor is in your houses. Why do you crush My people and grind the faces of the poor?” Isaiah 3: 14-15 ICE is flush with money. Trump’s “big beautiful bill” will end health insurance for 15 million Americans and raise health care costs for the rest of us. It will shut down many of our hospitals, take money out of... Read more
The thing about Trump ordering troops into Washington DC for no reason and threatening to do the same to Oakland, Chicago and Baltimore, is that he still hasn’t released the Epstein Files. The thing about Trump trundling off to Alaska for a confab with Putin, is that he still hasn’t released the Epstein Files. The thing about Trump calling President Obama a traitor and ordering his puppet Attorney General to convene a Grand Jury to “investigate,” is that he still... Read more
Pro Life Monday. How many people do you have to kill before you’re not pro life anymore? When a woman dies because she was denied medical care due to a poorly written pro life law that the Supreme Court has refused to overturn and legislators refuse to amend, her death is judicial and legislative murder. I am demonstrably and undeniably pro life by the definition that right wing Republicans seek to apply to the issue. I passed more pro life... Read more
I hadn’t planned to write another post today. My intention was to focus on family and the Lord throughout the rest of today and the Sabbath. But this news is too good not to share right away. A new Gallup poll shows that Americans — battered, angry, frightened Americans — are taking to Pope Leo. He tops both Trump and Zelenskyy. One person who surprised me by being in the running was Bernie Sanders. Yes, Pope Leo tops him, too.... Read more
The Feast of the Transfiguration was especially powerful for me this year. My sister died almost three months ago and the grief has been hard to bear. During the long months when she was suffering — what I think of now as her own personal passion — my oldest son would call me every night before bed to talk. He spent much of the time reminding me that there were limits to what I could control, and that I had... Read more
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